Love is a cruel conqueror.
Happy is he who knows him through stories
And not by his blows!
• Book IV (1668), fable 1 (Le lion amoureux).
Happy is he who knows him through stories
And not by his blows!
• Book IV (1668), fable 1 (Le lion amoureux).
“
Amour est un étrange maître!
Heureux qui peut ne le connaître
Que par récit, lui ni ses coups!
— Jean de La Fontaine
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Amour est un étrange maître!
Heureux qui peut ne le connaître
Que par récit, lui ni ses coups!" in the context of "Love is a cruel conqueror.
Happy is he who knows him through stories
And not by his blows!
• Book IV (1668), fable 1 (Le lion amoureux)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Jean de La Fontaine" (Quotes, Fables (1668–1679), Book IV)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (July 8 1621 – April 13 1695) is a famous French fabulist and the most widely read French poet of the 17th century.
About Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (July 8 1621 – April 13 1695) is a famous French fabulist and the most widely read French poet of the 17th century.
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